How to Reinvent Yourself with Hypnosis For Next Phase of Life

In this Hypnosis Brief I look at common problems people facing retirement encounter, or in a job they know is not their calling, and resources and tools to help them make their next step.

Are you at the point in your life you’re looking to do something new?

Maybe you’ve been doing the same job for decades, or you’ve been with the same company as long. Perhaps you’re now tired of doing what you’ve been doing and you want a change.

As with many people today the company you’ve been working for could be forcing you into an early retirement of sorts, and you need to find something else. Maybe your job is for a younger person and your physical body can no longer handle the rigors of what you’ve been doing and you need to find something kinder to you and your body. But you also know if you just ‘retire’ you’ll just go crazy!

You sense there’s a yearning in your soul to do more, and be an active contributor to society rather than just live for the next installment of your favorite TV show. You know you need to do more for who is most important… yourself!

Whether you’re in your early thirties and in need of a major change, or approaching retirement, you’re thinking it’s time to ‘reinvent’ yourself and start fresh, living the next or second phase of your life in a way you want to live it – on your terms!

But you need help discovering what you want to do in this next phase.

“WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?”

When we were children, we were asked by family members or friends of our parents, “And what do you want to be when you grow up?” When we reach high school, we are asked by guidance counselors, teachers and parents, “What do you want to do with your life after high school?” And when we reach retirement, we are often times asked by colleagues, “Now what? What do you plan on doing with yourself now you’ll have all this free time?”

For many of us, this can be a deep troubling question as the truth is we usually haven’t put much thought into it. We’ve been doing the same ole for so long we’ve became a creature of habit and become complacent in living our lives.

For many, life, at some point, became mundane, and less challenging as we operated in a comfort zone of complacency. And here you are now having once again to determine, “What do you want to do now you’re all grown up?”

For those facing retirement we live in a society that discusses and encourages preparation for the financial aspect. Often times, it’s a financial investment commercial that comes to mind with seniors playing with their grand kids, or sipping Pina Colada’s on a beach as the sun sets in front of them. These are the stereotypes for how retirement is perceived by many.

Unfortunately, this isn’t how it plays out for most and it isn’t rosy at all! There are no beaches or Pina Colada’s… rather there is utter boredom for them.

Years ago, research showed when some folks retire, even from a job they’d despised, it wasn’t uncommon for them to get sick or die within a year or two thereafter? Basically, when they no longer had their jobs or careers, they believe they’d “lost” a large part of themselves. In their mind, their life’s identity was tied to a job, after all they had engaged in it for 30 or 40 years, and now what did they have? It wasn’t long before depression would set in for many, a greater sense of helplessness or haplessness, and they’d literally believe they were ‘useless’ and no longer served a purpose to the world.

Obviously, this is a misconception and a wrong way to think, especially when at any age you always have something meaningful to contribute to life – your own and others. The key point is, what is it you want to contribute, in your second career?

Everyone has at some point in their lives wondered, or they still wonder, what would my life have been like if I’d only chosen a different path or career. “What would my life be like if I had chosen the career I really loved with my whole heart?”

Does this sound at all familiar to you?

Perhaps the question you hear yourself asking is, “What can I do, or what will I do now that I have all of this free time, as I don’t know what my passion is at this point?”

WAYS TO START THE SECOND PHASE OF YOUR LIFE:

Here’s some suggestions to get you started.

First, get clear on what it is you want to do! For those who’ve figured out what it is they want to do, but are perhaps nervous or hesitant about pursuing it due to fear or confidence, they need a gentle push to get them going in the right direction.

The best way to figure out your future in the second part of your life is sometimes easily accomplished by discussing it with someone as you did in the first part of your life – a career counselor. A counselor can listen, make suggestion and point you in the right direction.

There are tests you can take such as Myers Briggs [1] which is a personality test and the results can be used by professional counselors to suggest careers or other changes to help you decide on a new direction. There are other personality tests you can take but the Myers Briggs has held up over many decades as the preferred choice.

Richard Nelson Bolles book “What Color is Your Parachute?” remains as relevant today as it did decades ago and helped many folks with a career change, or new insights into the next phase of their life. For a small investment of time and money you could find the words, or nudge, that moves you to reinvent yourself. It’s updated almost yearly and you can find it at your local bookstore or Amazon. Bolles also has his own website supplementing his book and offering tools and resources to help [2].

But what happens if you’re still stuck not knowing what your inner “passion” or “purpose” is? This isn’t as uncommon as you think. A lot has been written about “live your passion” and “find your purpose,” and the reality for many is… they just don’t know. Frankly, you may also have many passions and purposes [3] and trying to focus on which one to choose will drive you crazy!

Relax. Take a deep breath and realize despite what you’ve been told the next move will not ruin your life if it’s the wrong one. Take baby steps. Try things out and see if “the clothes fit.” If it turns out not to be for you, move on.

If you get frustrated and really are struggling then consider your next line of action is to see a hypnotherapist.

Hypnosis is an excellent way for helping individuals get ‘in touch’ with themselves. A hypnotherapist can help by asking you questions and tapping into your unconscious mind, truly awakening or recognizing dormant passions.

If you have uncertainties, hypnosis can help you gain greater insights and clarity. If you’re nervous, apprehensive or lack confidence in starting a new life, hypnosis can help you gain the confidence you need to get going on the second phase of your life and make it even better than the first part.

Resistance is a major contributor to why we don’t try new things, and this is usually caused by fear that manifests itself in many ways. Resistance is insidious. It seeps into your life and stops you achieving your goals. It stops the writer from writing. It stops the painter from painting, and the musician from playing music.

It can stop the amateur from turning pro as Stephen Pressfield [4] often writes.

But it doesn’t just affect the artist or the creative. It stops us all. It stops you from losing weight or keeping on a healthy diet. It gets in the way of a smoker quitting. It stops us from doing our life work – you know… the things you were put on this planet to do!

Again, hypnosis can help you move forward despite resistance or your fears. Seek out a local hypnotist who has helped others with their second phase of their life, or can teach you self-hypnosis as a tool you can use to help make any significant changes in your life.

LAST WORD:

Reinventing yourself is an opportunity to discover and execute on passions and purposes to make not only your own life fulfilling but help others as well.

Most of us need help in uncovering what we want to do after we decide the first phase of our life is ending and we are ready for something new. We may, or may not know, what that life change entails. If there’s a blockage discovering it or we keep wandering around in circles, then, likely we are experiencing resistance.

Now, you may or may not need help to overcome this resistance. Regardless, it’s time to get serious about those goals you have. Whether it’s writing a novel, volunteering for a charity you admire, changing careers, or shedding that spare tire around your middle that’s been following you around for most of your life… it’s time to overcome resistance, and conquer your internal enemy.

Consider hypnosis if you need help getting unstuck. Hypnosis can help you understand what makes you tick. What sort of activities do you enjoy doing and never have to struggle to motivate yourself to do? What talents have you got or can you develop? What kind of people do you like to be around?